Vacuum cup



Feb. 5, 1935.

A. T. KoPPE 1,990,334

VACUUM CUP l *Filed May 23, A1952l 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 759 Q @j Weka/wierTKO/ojo@ I Patent-eci 5,` 1935 -PATgNr'oFi-ICE vacuum om Alexander T.K'oppe,l Chicago, Ill. Application May 23, 1932, serial No. 612,988

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in vacuum cups and its purpose isto provide a device for holding-sheets of paper or the like in printingpresses or other apparatus where it is desired to` move a sheet of paperor other thin objects from one position to another. In printing pressesand other machines of that character, it is the common practice toemploy vacuumcups which are brought into engagement with. the papersheets r the like with the result that the suction which is exertedthrough the cup operates to cause the sheet of paperto adhere to thecontacting portion of the cup and to remain in that .position until thesuctionlis released when the cup is in a new position. Devices of thischaracter which have heretofore been provided have not been suiilcientlysensitive to operate upon sheets of all thicknesses which are met within commercial practice and they have usually been rather large andcumbersome structures Awhich could not b e used" in all locations. v

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedform of vacuum cup which will be very simple in construction andsensitive in operation so that it may be readily employed in variouslocations for operation upon sheets of various material and thickness.Another object of the invention is to provide an improved vacuum cupcomprising relatively movable parts, one of which is adapted to bebrought into engagement with the paper sheets and to yield when thatengagement is eiected so that a uniform contact of the periphery of thecup with the sheet is eiected. A further object of the invention is toprovide an improved vacuum cup in which the use of `a rubber or otherresilient Ycup member is eliminated. Still another object of theinvention is to provide a vacuum cup provided with .means extendingacross the orifice leading to the vacuum channel so that the paper sheetis not drawn into the cup by the vacuum. Other objects relate to variousfeatures of con- Structure and arrangement which will appear more fullyhereinafter.

'I'he nature of the invention will be understood from the followingspeciiication taken with the accompanying drawings, vin which threeembodiments are illustrated. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section through one form of the improved vacuumcup and a suction pipe by which it is carried, showing the cup proper inposition to engage the uppermost sheet of a stack; Fig. 2 is a sectionalView similar to that of Fig. 1, showing the relative positions of theparts of (ol. 294-641' v vthe deviceafter the uppermost sheet has beenengaged by the cup;

Fig. 3l shows a bottom plan view of thevacuumcup illustrated in Fig. 1;4

Fig. 4 shows a vertical section through another 5 form of the inventionapplied to a suction pipe, illustrating the cup in position to engagethe uppermost sheet of a stack;

Fig. 5- is a sectional view similar to that'of Fig. 4, showing therelative positions of the parts after the uppermost sheet o`f the stackhas been lifted thereby; Fig. 6 shows a bottom plan view ofthe deviceillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5; v

Fig. '7 is a' vertical'section through the lower 1'5 portion of a thirdform of the invention in which means are 'provided for preventing thepaper sheet from being. drawn into the vacuum channel; and

Fig. 8 is a 4bottom 'trated inv Fig. 7.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the yinvention isapplied to'a vacuum pipe or tube 1-0 which' may be a part of a printingpress or the like and which is connected to a source of suction. Thispipe is'ordinarily movable so that va vacuum cup carried thereby may bebrought into engagement with a pile of sheets or the sheets may bemovable with their support for the purpose of bringing one sheetintoensagement with the jcup. `The pipe 10 is provided on its under sidewith a circular aperture which is threadedly engaged by a hollow stem 11upon which there is slidably mounted a cylinder 12. The lower end of thestem 11 is inter- 35 nally threaded and is engaged by a threaded reltaining member 13 having an aperture 13u there-` through concentric withthe wall of the tube oi the stem 11 and having an annular ange 13b whichextends outwardly beyond the outer surface of the stem to engage anannular internal shoulder 14 which isformed upon the inner wall. of ofthe cylinder 12. 'I'he flange 13b of the plug 13 limits the downwardmovement of the cylinder under the iniiuence of gravity.

The lower end of the cylinder 12 is internally threaded and is engagedby a head 16 having an upwardly extending externally threaded sleeveportion 16a which engages the threads of the plan view of the deviceillus- `20 f lower-part of the cylinder, and an outwardly dire :tedflange portion 16b which engages the, lower end of the cylinder. Theperiphery of the ange portion 16" is preferably knurled as shown at '16Afor engagement by the fingers of the operator' in order that the headmay be readily inserted'in 55 uppermost sheet 18.

v or withdrawn from the cylinder 12 may be held against rotation dui'-when the cylinder. In order that ing the operation of applyingorremoving the head 16, the upper end of the cylinder is provided with twoopposite dat faces 12* which may be engaged by a wrench or the like.'The head 16 is provided at sleeve-like portion annular flange 16d witha rubber cup 17 formed of a very nexible quality of rubber orthe like.The neck 17* of this cup is received within the annular ange 16i and isprovided with an outwardly 17b which overlies the 16l with an inwardlyextending outwardly and downwardly flaring skirt 17 which is adapted tocontact with the surface of the uppermost sheet of a pile of sheets 18,resting on a support 19. The cup 17 is retained in place by meanscomprising a metal sleeve 20 having at its lower end an outwardly aringflange 20n which coacts with the under surface of the skirt 17z of thecup. This sleeve 20 extends upwardly through the neck of the cupconcentrlcally with lthe sleevelike portion 16 of the head and it isexternally threaded for engagement by a nut 21 which serves to clamp awasher 22 in position on .the upper surface of the cup within the head.The upper end of the nut is provided .with a transverse slot 2ln forengagement by a wrench or the'like and the nut is tightened, the sleeve20y is drawn upwardly so that the cupr17 is clamped firmly in position.With the parts assembled 'as just described, there is a clearance 23between the upper end of the sleeve 20 and the lower face of theretaining member 13 and the amount of this clearance represents theextent of upward movement of the cylinder 12 upon the stem 11.

In the operation of this device, a relative movement is effected betweenthe pipe 10 and the pile of sheets 18, with the result that the lowerannular end surface of the rubber cup 17 is brought into engagement withthe. upper surface of the When the rubber cup 17 engages this uppermostpaper sheet 18"., the suction acting through the cup from the pipel -10causes the sheet toadhere to the surface of the cup, thus closing thevacuum channel so that no further air can be drawn in by suction, withthe result that the atmospheric pressure on the outside of the cup andon the lower side'of the paper sheet then elevates the cup and sheet tothe position shown in Fig. 2, with the cylinder 12 sliding upwardly onthe stern 11 until the upper end of the head 16 engages the lower end ofthe hub 13. The paper sheet is then held in position while it is beingtransferred to a new location by movement of the pipe 10 and the vacuumcup carried thereby. Upon reaching the new location, the suction is cutoff from the pipe 10, whereupon the paper sheet is released and allowedto fall in its new location. Of course, a plurality of cups are commonlyemployed ,for lifting a single sheet and the suction channels leading.to the several cups are relieved of suction at the same time.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6'of the drawings, there is illustrated a modiiiedform of the invention in which the use of a rubber cup or otherresilient member for engaging the paper sheets is avoided. In this form,a pipe 25, connected to a source of suction, is provided with a threadedaperture in which is mounted a depending tubular stem 26 adapted to havea sliding engagement with a cylinder 27. This cylinder is held in placeon the the lower end or 'the bore or' tnewhich is adapted to interlockAextending flange` flange 16d when the cup is -in place. Beneath the head16, the cup 17 has an f created to eect 1,aoo,ss4. y l.

stem zany' retaining member 2s nvm a threaded portion 28* which engagesthe internally threaded lower end of the stem and an outwardly extendingannular flange 28" which projects beyond the lower end of the stem andunderlies the annular shoulder 27'l which is formed on the inside of thecylinder 27 at the upper end of the enlarged bore thereof which has asliding 'engagement with the annular cylindrical surface pf the aangezsh. The cylinder 2': is internauy 10 threaded at its lower end fordetachable engagement 'with the. externally threaded sleeve portion 29`of a head 29 whichhas a flange 29 extending outwardly beyond the lowerend ofthe cylinder and which is provided at its lower end with an 15annular ilat surface 29 adapted tocoact with the upper surface of theuppermost sheet 307 of a pile of paper sheets 30 resting upon a support31. The cylinder 27'norma1ly occupies the position on the vstern 26which is illustrated in Fig. '4. 20-

When in this position, the surface 29 of the head 29'is displacedlupwardly from the top of the stack of paper sheets so that the suctionmacting through the pipe v has-ono eect upon the cylinder 27 orfupon thepaper sheets. How- 25 ever, when' relative movement of the vacuum cupdevice and the stack of paper sheets takes place to bring the surface29c into contact with the upper surface of the upper paper sheet 30.,the suction line is lther intake of the outside air `and the paper-sheet n is then held in contact with the surface 29 and the atmosphericpressure then forces the cylinder 27 upwardly until it assumes aposition then sealed against the fur- 30 such as that shown in Fig.. 5,with the upper-sheet 30* lifted from the stack. The parts are then inreadiness to transfer the paper sheet to a new location by movement ofthe cup or cups to which V the sheet adheres. When the' new location isreached, the suction is relieved in the pipe 25, 40

whereupon the paper sheet drops in the new` location and the cylinder27`falls by gravity to the original positionr shown in Fig. 4. It isfound that. with a -device of this simple construction, l

having a fiat annularsurface 29 to engage the 45 paper sheets, asufficiently air-tight seal maybe the lifting and movement ofthel papersheets without the employment of any rubber or other similar sealingmeans.

When 4the invention is employed for moving 50 paper sheets which arerelatively thin, it may be desirable to overcome any tendency for thepaper sheet to be drawn partially into the suction line with theconsequent danger of rupturing the portionof the sheet-which projectsover. the vacuum orifice. For use under such circumstances, there hasbeen provided a third form of the invention, which is illustratedpartially in Figs. 7 and 8.v In this form, the parts are all similar inconstruction to .those illustrated in Figs. 4` and 5, with 60 the lowerend of the cylinder 37, corresponding to the cylinder 27,'having athreaded engagement with a head 39 provided at its lower end with a fiatsurface 39 adapted to coact with the uppermost sheet of a stack ofsheets to -be moved by the use of the device. In this form, the surface39 is a continuous surface of circular outline except for the provisionthrough the central web 39 thereof of a plurality of small apertures 39hwhich permit the suction to act upon-the 76 upper surface of the paperwhile at the same time preventing upward movement thereof within theboundaries of the channel 39d which is `formed through the head 39.

Although three forms of the invention have 75 been shown and describedby way of illustration. it will be understood that it may be constructedin various other embodiments within the scope oi' the appended claims.

I claim: v

1. The combination with a vacuum pipe, of a stem projecting downwardlytherefrom, a cylinder slidably mounted on said stem and movable bygravity to its lower position, retaining. means carried by said stem atits lower end for engaging said cylinder in said lower position, and ahead -mounted on the lower'end of said cylinder and having an annular atsurface to coact with a paper sheet.

2. The combination with a suction pipe, of a hollow stem carried by andcommunicating with said pipe, a cylinder slidably mounted on` said stem,means within said cylinder to limit the downward movement of saidcylinder, a head detachably engaging said cylinder and having aninternal bore, a exible vacuum cup having a neck engaging said bore; andclamping means detachably engaging said bore for holding said cup inposition on said head.

3. The combination with a vacuum pipe, of a stem projecting therefrom, acylinder mounted on said stem, a head carried by said cylinder andhaving an internal bore, saidv head'having an inwardly projectingannular flange, a resilient cup carried by said head and having a angeoverlying said ilange on said head, and relatively adjustable members onopposite sides of said cup tor clamping said ilangestogether.

4. 'Ine combination with a vacuum pipe, of a stem projecting from saidpipe, a cylinder carried by said stem, a head mounted o n said cylinderand having an internal bore, a exible vacuum cup having a neck engagingsaid bore and having a downwardly and outwardly aring skirt, a sleeveengaging said bore and having an outwardly flaring iiange underlying theskirt of said cup, and means engaging said sleeve in said bore forclamping said cup in position on said head. v' Y v 5. The combinationwith a vacuum pipe,oi' a hollow stem projecting from said pipe. acylinder slidably mounted on said stem, a head detachably mounted onsaid cylinder and havingan interal bore provided with an inwardlyprojecting annular flange at the lower end thereof, a exible vacuum cuphaving a skirt beneath said head and an outwardly projecting flangeoverlying said first named iiange, a tubular member engaging said boreand extending through said cup and having an outwardly flaring angeunderlying the skirt of said cup, and a nut threadedly engaging saidtubular member within s aid bore for clamping said cup in position.

6. 'I'he combination with a .vacuum pipe, of a hollow stem projectingfrom said pipe, a cylinder slidably mounted on said stem and having aninwardly extending annular shoulder, a plug threadedly engagingv saidstem'and having an outwardly extending annular flange adapted to engagesaid shoulder to linut the movement of said cylinder on said stem, ahead detachably engaging said cylinder, and a member carried by saidhead.

ALEXANDER 'I'. KOPPE.

paper engaging

